Every year I pick a word to represent my focus for the year. For 2020, my word sort of chose me. My word this year? Courage! To live 2020 full of courage.
I couldn’t be more excited to dive into this word and use it to encourage, guide, and direct my life this year.
When I looked up the definition of courage, it was described as showing bravery in the face of danger, but as I dug deeper, I found that it is also about facing difficulties and fear.
I’ve been writing and editing my first novel for the past six years and it has been a journey. A wonderful, beautiful, sometimes frustrating journey.
But as I’ve entered contests and done more writing, I find I’m afraid to put my work out there over and over, to get feedback (no matter how encouraging), and it’s daunting to know there is more work that needs to be done and I don’t know fully what that is yet. I want to keep working on it and not give up, even though I wonder at times why I keep trying.
This is the courage I want to have in 2020.
For my writing:
- Courage to finish my book
- Courage to show it to others and pitch it.
- Courage to say no to the things that take me away from my goals
But the word courage can be applied in so many areas of my life:
- Courage to obey God and trust Him fully
- Courage to have the conversations with my kids I want to have and sometimes don’t
- Courage to take those moments and make them worthwhile
- Courage to not miss the moments that can be fleeting
And so much more. In some ways it’s taking last years word, Purposeful, and having the courage to live it out in abundance.
As I look back over my blog, I realize I haven’t always written about the words I’ve chosen each year (I have on other blogs), yet this small decision to choose one word to focus on has reaped so many blessings for me and I’ve grown in all sorts of ways. In a way they sort of build off of each other. I might need to still talk about them. They become a part of me. And I still get encouraged when I see them – like my word for 2017, which I did write about – strength.
Also, when I choose my word for the year, I pick a memory verse as my theme. There are a few that I like for courage, but the one verse that fits my heart the best with this word is:
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9
As you can see, the word strength is in this verse as well.
I also like to look up quotes with the word and loved what I found. I have quite a lot to inspire me:
So for 2020, I look forward to seeing how God will use this word to encourage me.
Is it to have courage to finish my book and pitch it for publishing?
To say no to things so I can have the time to work on my book and other things that are most important to me, such as my family?
Will I have courage to listen to God when he nudges me (which is exactly how writing my novel began)?
Whatever it is, I’m really looking forward to this year of courage.
If you’d like help in picking a word, this is a great website page with lots of ideas.
If you have a word picked out for the year 2020, I’d love to know what it is! Let me know if the comments below.
2 thoughts on “Living 2020 Full of Courage”